Issue - meetings

Joint report of Corporate Director for People and Director for Procurement and Commissioning

Councillor Woodings, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, introduced the report.

Melody Hinds, Commissioning Officer, presented the report and stated the following:

a)  Local Authorities are under several statutory duties to provide independent advocacy services for adults. The current service, known as ‘Your Voice, Your Choice’, was jointly commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council and is delivered by POhWER;

b)  the existing contract expires, following previous extensions, on 30 September 2023 and, therefore need to be re-commissioned;

c)  Nottinghamshire County Council will be the lead authority on procurement of the recommissioned services and it is proposed to enter a Collaboration Agreement, which sets out the framework for collaboration and outlines each partner’s roles and responsibilities in the recommissioning;

d)  Executive approval is required for the City Council’s spend of the allocated budget, entering into a Collaboration Agreement, engaging in a joint tender process, and entering an appropriate single provider framework agreement and call-off agreements with the successful provider.

Resolved

(1)  to approve undertaking a tender process for a single provider framework to deliver Independent Advocacy Services for Adults until September 2032 (an initial 5 years, with an option to call off a further 4 years) with a maximum value of £2,322,342;

(2)  to delegated authority to the:

(a)   Director of Commissioning and Partnerships to:

(i)  enter into a Collaborative Agreement with Nottinghamshire County Council for the recommissioning of Independent Advocacy Services for Adults;

(ii)  approve the tender process for the Independent Advocacy Service for Adults;

(b)  Head of Procurement to enter into an appropriate Framework Agreement andaward and sign call-off contracts as appropriate.

Reasons for recommendations

Councils have a statutory responsibility to ensure the availability of advocacy services for vulnerable adults. These are jointly commissioned at present with Nottinghamshire County Council. The current contract ensures both authorities advocacy requirements are met but it expires in September 2023 following previous extensions. Both Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Council need to recommission the provision of services after September 2023.

The purpose of the Collaboration Agreement is to set out the roles and responsibilities of each partner organisation and to outline accountability arrangements, financial contributions and dispute resolutions.

Continuing to commission the service jointly with Nottinghamshire County Council will ensure advocacy provision is equitable across a Nottinghamshire/Nottingham-wide footprint and will offer economies of scale and comply with the best value duty.

A Single Provider Framework will enable the necessary contracts in the proposed period, to be called-off to ensure all current statutory requirements in relation to advocacy are met. A Single Provider Framework will allow Councils to call off individual service requirements as appropriate under the terms outlined in the Framework with the provider, without the need for further competition. A maximum 4-year contract length in each case has been determined as appropriate for the services in question.

Nottingham City Council would therefore not be overcommitting nor be bound to a long-term financial commitment. This type of Framework also gives the Councils the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43